Export of Objects of Cultural Interest 2012/13 PublishedPublished by by TSO TSO (The (The Stationery Stationery Office) Office) and and available available from: from: OnlineOnline www.tsoshop.co.ukwww.tsoshop.co.uk Mail,Mail, telephone, telephone, fax fax and and email email TSOTSO POPO Box Box 29, 29, Norwich Norwich NR3 NR3 1GN 1GN TelephoneTelephone orders/general orders/general enquiries: enquiries: 0870 0870 600 600 5522 5522 OrderOrder through through the the Parliamentary Parliamentary Hotline Hotline Lo-Call Lo-Call 0845 0845 702 702 3474 3474 FaxFax orders: orders: 0870 0870 600 600 5533 5533 Email:Email: [email protected] [email protected] Textphone:Textphone: 0870 0870 240 240 3701 3701 TheThe Houses Houses of of Parliament Parliament Shop Shop 1212 Bridge Bridge Street, Street, Parliament Parliament Square, Square, ISBNISBN 978-0-10-856005-7 978-0-10-856005-7 LondonLondon SW1A SW1A 2JX 2JX TelephoneTelephone orders/general orders/general enquiries: enquiries: 020 020 7219 7219 3890 3890 FaxFax orders: orders: 020 020 7219 7219 3866 3866 Email:Email: [email protected] [email protected] Internet:Internet: http://www.shop.parliament.uk http://www.shop.parliament.uk TSO@BlackwellTSO@Blackwell and and other other accredited accredited agents agents 99 780108 780108 560057 560057 Export of Objects of Cultural Interest 2012/13 1 May 2012 to 30 April 2013 Presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 10 (1)(a) of the Export Control Act 2002 February 2014 £21.25 London: The Stationery Office Cover image: A Regence ormolu-mounted Chinese porcelain casket © Crown copyright 2014 You may re-use this information (excluding logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or e-mail: [email protected]. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] You can download this publication from www.gov.uk/government/publications ISBN: 9780108560057 Printed in the UK for The Stationery Office Limited on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office ID 2599512 02/14 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum. Export of Objects of Cultural Interest 2012/13 1 May 2012 to 30 April 2013 I Report of the Secretary of State II Report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest Export of Objects of Cultural Interest 2012/13 3 Annual report to Parliament By the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities The Reviewing Committee on This has been another busy year for the Committee and the case histories that unfold are no less fascinating the Export of Works of Art and than before. In total, six items worth just under £11.2 Objects of Cultural Interest million have been saved from export and acquired by I am pleased to lay before Parliament the ninth annual collections throughout the UK. There are, as always, report on the operation of the export controls on some outstanding examples of fine art but also items objects of cultural interest, as required by section 10(1) considered important because of their strong association (a) of the Export Control Act 2002 (the 2002 Act). The with our history and national identity. Two of my report covers the period 1 May 2012 to 30 April 2013. personal favourites from this year’s report are the paintings by George Stubbs of a kangaroo and a dingo This is the 59th year that the Government has published which symbolise the discovery of Australia and what the annual report of the Reviewing Committee and the strange new continent meant to people here at once again we are indebted to the Committee, its the time. Thanks to a very generous donation from expert advisers and staff at the Arts Council for their the shipping magnate, Eyal Ofer, together with Lottery dedication and hard work in ensuring the export licensing funding, the National Maritime Museum has managed system operates effectively and that items of sufficient to acquire the paintings. I agree with the Committee importance to us as a nation are identified and an that the saving of items at risk of export should continue opportunity provided for them to stay in the UK. I am to be seen as an integral part of the Government’s sure that the many items that have been saved in this commitment to deliver world class arts, heritage and way over the years would easily fill a medium sized culture to audiences in the UK, including tourists and I museum or gallery and we remain rich as a nation hope that works such as the Stubbs paintings will as a result. contribute to that. Whilst there is much to celebrate, this is unfortunately I was also pleased to see that seven silk works depicting also the last Report to be made under Lord Inglewood’s views of the Temple of Solomon have been saved from chairmanship. Lord Inglewood has chaired the Committee export and purchased under the ‘Ridley Rules’ by a in an exemplary manner throughout his 10 year tenure private purchaser who has agreed to display the works in the post and I am most grateful to him for his at Waddesdon Manor. As highlighted in last year’s excellent advice on the many cases referred to the Report, I decided that the overall objective of retaining Committee and for his shrewd insight on policy issues. national treasures in the UK was best served by extending Lord Inglewood has presided over meetings which have the present five year period for Ridley purchases from resulted in some truly iconic works of art being saved five years to 10 years and this is the first offer to be for the nation such as the Macclesfield Psalter, a superb accompanied by an undertaking to retain ownership example of medieval craftsmanship, acquired by the of the items for 10 years. Fitzwilliam Museum in 2005 or Turner’s Blue Rigi, acquired by Tate in 2007. Of course, fundraising is always a major challenge for museums and I hope that generous individuals, I would also like to thank Professor David Ekserdjian businesses, and other organisations will continue to and Dr Catherine Johns as they stand down from the support the retention of our national treasures. I agree Committee, for their long and dedicated service and with the Committee that we now have an excellent to welcome Leslie Webster and Richard Calvocoressi. set of initiatives to encourage the philanthropic giving of 4 Export of Objects of Cultural Interest 2012/13 works of art. The Acceptance in Lieu scheme continues to offer opportunities to bring heritage assets into public ownership and the securing for the nation of £50 million worth of important objects and archives in 2012/13 shows that this scheme is as popular as ever. There has also been much excitement around the new Cultural Gifts Scheme which provides opportunities for people to donate important cultural objects within their own lifetimes and four offers have already been accepted including an early portrait by Van Gogh which has been allocated to the National Gallery. I am concerned over the Committee’s observation that expert advisers may not always refer objects that might potentially meet the Waverley criteria, possibly because they sense that funds may not be available for the purchase of export deferred items and I would welcome the Committee’s further views on how this problem might be addressed. I also note the Committee’s concern that in the case of private treaty sales, it is important that information on the amount of tax payable on a particular sale is made available quickly to a museum which is attempting to raise funds to make a compensating offer. We will see what can be done to speed up this process. Finally, I would like to thank the many organisations and individuals without whose help many of these wonderful objects would not have been saved. It is their support, together with the tireless work of museum experts, volunteers and supporters throughout the UK which makes this area of work such a huge success. Maria Miller Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities Export of Objects of Cultural Interest 2012/13 5 Operation of the Control The following figures cover the period of this report (1 May 2012 to 30 April 2013). 1 May 2011 – 1 May 2012 – 30 April 2012 30 April 2013 (a) Number of applications for individual export licences1 11,615 12,089 (b) Number of above applications which were for manuscripts, 1,444 1,512 documents or archives (c) Number of items licensed after reference to expert advisers on 33,236 33,842 the question of national importance (d) Total value of items in (c) £1,970,115,511 £1,665,255,992 (e) Number of Open Individual Export Licences (OIEL) in operation 68 68 having been issued in previous years to regular exporters for the export of (i) manuscripts, documents, archives and photographic positives and negatives; (ii) objects imported into the UK in the past 50 years; (iii) UK origin coins; (iv) the temporary export of a Rolls Royce; (v) the temporary export of objects in soil samples from archaeological sites in Northern Ireland; (vi) the temporary export of objects owned or under the control of national institutions or institutions holding designated collections.